posted
Seriously, if OSC was never "inspired" to start writing masterpeices i don't think i would ever start reading outside of school. No other book or particular author got me thinking and reading like Mr.Card. I would still be speding hours at end playin video games and watching tv (not that i don't, but not as much as before). How how Mr.Card effected your reading life.
Posts: 262 | Registered: Jan 2005
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posted
I certainly wouldn't be reading science fiction and fantasy right now, but I'd definitely be reading. (Exception: I would be reading HP, but I probably wouldn't consider it fantasy.) I've always been a reader.
Posts: 1547 | Registered: Jan 2004
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posted
Yea, same here (as porteiro). I'd still read sci-fi, but I think I'd have a broader range of authors read (instead of reading 3 OSC books in a row, persay).
Posts: 2867 | Registered: May 2005
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posted
OSC's books marked my switch from the "young adult" bookshelves to the regular section of the bookstore.
Posts: 973 | Registered: Apr 2005
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posted
My leisure novel reading wouldn't be almost exclusively OSC as it is right now. That's primarily a time issue, though - I read what I know I'll like.
Having discovered OSC in high school, that discovery didn't really change my reading habits much, it just provided another great author for me to read.
Posts: 134 | Registered: Jul 2003
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posted
My reading life wouldn't be too much different.
I wouldn't have had the great joy of reading all the OSC novels, though - so my reading life would be a little more dull.
Posts: 367 | Registered: Apr 2004
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posted
For starters, I wouldn't be spending so much time here. :B And I probably would never have tried science fiction. So, thank you, Mr. Card!
Posts: 1215 | Registered: Apr 2005
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posted
I've always wondered at the people who say they never used to read, and then Ender's Game came along and totally changed their life. Not in a bad way at all, it just seems strange to me, having read voraciously ever since I learned that those black marks on the page could be deciphered. Ender's Game had an equally dramatic effect on me - as a glance at my bookshelves will show, laden with just about every work of fiction OSC has written - but if I'd never read it I'd certainly have read something else in it's place.
My reading tasted have changed since that time, though. I read a lot of political thrillers a la Tom Clancy, or more mainstream SF like Michael Crichton or Dean Koontz. I don't know how much credit OSC gets for that change, though, over just my own evolving tastes.
Posts: 47 | Registered: Mar 2005
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posted
I don't know that my reading life would change much except I probably wouldn't be reading so much fiction.
I never read any OSC until I was in my 30s. And most of my adult life I had gradually drifted away from fiction to reading only non-fiction types of things.
After I read Ender's Game, then I went on a binge of reading everything OSC, and sometimes that branched then into other writers I heard about here or through his columns. So it drove me back to fiction again, and I relearned the joy of losing myself in a story for a few hours to make the real world go away.
posted
People who "never read fiction" until Book X (for some, Ender's Game; for millions, Harry Potter), the reason is that they were TRAINED not to enjoy reading. They learned in school that fiction was all about working - writing "reading journals," book reports, or simply slogging through boring books in order to be able to pass tests.
I think it has a lot to do with Scarlet Letter - but that's another thread.
They learned to decode the marks on paper, but reading ITSELF was not a joy. It's like ... some people just like hitting things with a hammer, while others only think it's worth the effort if they really want to put a nail in something. They're just waiting for something they want to nail.
I'm just happy that some people find that book from my little shelf in the bookstore.
I myself was in the read it if it has letters on it category. But I still recall finding books that were simply luminous and made me hunger to read more. Happened over and over again: Dawn's Early Light by Elswyth Thane opened up historical novels for me, preparing me for Pride and Prejudice and Gone with the Wind; "Call Me Joe" and "Tunesmith" opened me up to sci-fi, and it was reopened by Andre Norton (Galactic Derelict; Catseye) and Heinlein (Citizen of the Galaxy, Tunnel in the Sky). Joseph Altsheler's war books about the French and Indian War and the Civil War got me fascinated by military history and military fiction, preparing me for heavy history as well as fiction. Thornton W. Burgess's talking-animal books and then, most blessedly, Felix Salten's Bambi (so much better than the movie!) made me a sucker for fantasy that is tied to reality.... and so on. Ben-Hur was a book of gold to me, for instance.
Above all, though, was Louisa Mae Alcott's Little Men (followed by Little Women) and Mark Twain's The Prince and the Pauper. These were books that made me frantic for sequels and related information.
The key, though, is that NOT ONE of these books was assigned at school. A bare handful were even obtained from the school library. Most were given to me by my parents; a couple by siblings or friends.
I have never LOVED an assigned book the way I've loved books that came from people I love, to be read solely for my own pleasure, at their recommendation.
Posts: 2005 | Registered: Jul 1999
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quote:The key, though, is that NOT ONE of these books was assigned at school. A bare handful were even obtained from the school library. Most were given to me by my parents; a couple by siblings or friends.
I can't recall how many times I've heard someone say, "please don't assign that book in class - I like it and if it's assigned it'll be ruined for me."
Posts: 367 | Registered: Apr 2004
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posted
Luckily, I already loved to read before I got to high school and the English teachers tried to teach me that I hated it. I never believed them. I just hated *their* books.
Posts: 16551 | Registered: Feb 2003
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quote:People who "never read fiction" until Book X (for some, Ender's Game; for millions, Harry Potter), the reason is that they were TRAINED not to enjoy reading. They learned in school that fiction was all about working - writing "reading journals," book reports, or simply slogging through boring books in order to be able to pass tests.
It's sad, but I can see the truth of it in so many people. Do you think there is an alternative? It seems like there has to be some formal education in order to develop people into capable readers, and generally that means assignments and tests. There are probably a lot of people here who enjoy it so much that they would have developed on their own just by reading voluntarily, but not nearly enough of the population in general that schools could take it out of the curriculum.
So how can schools avoid taking the enjoyment out of it? (Besides the obvious of steering clear of The Scarlet Letter!)
Posts: 47 | Registered: Mar 2005
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posted
Well, I think reading OSC got me back into Sci-fi after a long time of er... not sci-fi...ing
Also, when I read Enders Game for the first time I hadn't been reading in ages, and that started me again, I read tons of books afterwards.
Posts: 95 | Registered: May 2005
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posted
I caught up to OSC so long ago, I only read "him" when something new comes out. This translates to about once a year, or about 0.5% of my reading.
However, a lot of my memories from reading are OSC books. I've found (as I'm sure most of you have) that his character development is superb, and the characters from a given story stick with me for years, till I can't even remember which story they're from.
So while I don't read OSC that frequently, he's still one of my top 3 SF authors. And his stuff get reread a lot more than my other authors. Luckily for OSC and fam that I move so much, and almost every reread means I rebought the book because I lent or lost it.
Posts: 5462 | Registered: Apr 2005
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quote:Originally posted by CRash: OSC's books marked my switch from the "young adult" bookshelves to the regular section of the bookstore.
ditto. It would have happened eventually anyway but I don't have the slightest books I would be reading right now.
Posts: 1547 | Registered: Jan 2004
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posted
It wouldn't have been any different, other than one less favorite author to read. For me, OSC was a latecomer in my reading habits.
My "Switch from Young Adult to Adult" reading was Stephen King and Tom Clancy. In fact, I don't think I really had a Young Adult time of reading. It went from several super-young readings, to Narnia Series and very quickly to other things. In fact, for me the question would be what would have happened to my reading life without C.S. Lewis?
Posts: 2207 | Registered: Oct 2003
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posted
Maybe it's more important to have that first author/book that OSC is talking about than the specific author is. What I mean is, different books act as "the book that started my reading enjoyment" for different people.
For me it was David Eddings. I'd never suggest that Eddings was one of the best writers around. Even if he's one of my favourite authors, I don't pretend that most of the books I read aren't better. But his was the first story I read that I did soley for enjoyment, instead of for finding hidden meanings, etc.
Posts: 367 | Registered: Apr 2004
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posted
I've been eagerly awaiting each new OSC book since around 1980. Though I've randomly reread a few of them two or three times over the years, a few months ago, I started systematically reading all of them. I'm currently in the "singletons", my word for the novels like PastWatch, Treasure Box, Lost Boys, and so forth, in which is wonderful to experience the great variety and breadth and depth (the research for PastWatch must have been incredible). I'm also concurrently reading the Homecoming series, which I like even more the second time around.
It's interesting the changes about what and how things you read strike you differently as your life progresses. When I first read Ender's Game I was just about to get married, then I had 5 kids, then after 12 years I got divorced, then four years later married again, 7 years so far. Especially from the unwanted divorce and the associated misery and trying to still be more a dad than an uncle amidst such negativity, I appreciate all the more the things about truth, life, relationships, good and evil, and community that come out in OSC's novels (as well as his Uncle Orson reviews and WarWatch columns, which I also suck up). I have the same feeling about the scriptures, noticing and seeing things new.
I just have to gush and say how much it all has meant to me, such that I would consider OSC, just through the written word, the most influential human in my life, outside of my family and religious figures (yes I'm LDS too). While I fell in love with reading fiction years before Ender's Game, he's set a standard that's hard for other writers to even come close to, though I am a fan of several others. It's kind of similar in music. For me the all time greatest is Jimi Hendrix, and then there are others I enjoy.
Anyway, that's it for my embarassing gushing. Thank you, Uncle Orson!
Posts: 8 | Registered: Jul 2005
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posted
While it wouldn't have put me off of Sci-fi since I got hocked to it after watching quite randomly ST: Nemesis in the video store. However I doubt I'ld quite have as many books as I have now, I have 2-3 whole books shevles taken up by books fantasy, scifi, historical and alternative historical fiction, history books, etc etc. It was the SHarp novels that put me into historical fiction and playing Caesar III for the PC that got me interested into history but however it was EG that really got me into military history and strategy and I wouldn't be on this site being talkative without OSC's EG. (Which I found on my teacher's desk one day and asked to borrow it since I thought it was about a game )
Posts: 1567 | Registered: Oct 2004
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posted
Oh yeah, one more very significant thing I forgot to mention about the result of reading books by OSC. After reading Songmaster, as a result of the feelings it generated in me, and the desire to create the same in other people, for the first time outside of school assignments, I sat down and began to write fiction myself, leading to a very enjoyable hobby, even though I came to realize it wasn't to be more than that.
posted
Ender's game was the first scifi i read and has opened me up to the entire third floor in my library Posts: 48 | Registered: Jul 2005
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quote:Originally posted by Orson Scott Card: People who "never read fiction" until Book X (for some, Ender's Game; for millions, Harry Potter), the reason is that they were TRAINED not to enjoy reading. They learned in school that fiction was all about working - writing "reading journals," book reports, or simply slogging through boring books in order to be able to pass tests.
I think it has a lot to do with Scarlet Letter - but that's another thread.
They learned to decode the marks on paper, but reading ITSELF was not a joy. It's like ... some people just like hitting things with a hammer, while others only think it's worth the effort if they really want to put a nail in something. They're just waiting for something they want to nail.
I'm just happy that some people find that book from my little shelf in the bookstore.
I myself was in the read it if it has letters on it category. But I still recall finding books that were simply luminous and made me hunger to read more. Happened over and over again: Dawn's Early Light by Elswyth Thane opened up historical novels for me, preparing me for Pride and Prejudice and Gone with the Wind; "Call Me Joe" and "Tunesmith" opened me up to sci-fi, and it was reopened by Andre Norton (Galactic Derelict; Catseye) and Heinlein (Citizen of the Galaxy, Tunnel in the Sky). Joseph Altsheler's war books about the French and Indian War and the Civil War got me fascinated by military history and military fiction, preparing me for heavy history as well as fiction. Thornton W. Burgess's talking-animal books and then, most blessedly, Felix Salten's Bambi (so much better than the movie!) made me a sucker for fantasy that is tied to reality.... and so on. Ben-Hur was a book of gold to me, for instance.
Above all, though, was Louisa Mae Alcott's Little Men (followed by Little Women) and Mark Twain's The Prince and the Pauper. These were books that made me frantic for sequels and related information.
The key, though, is that NOT ONE of these books was assigned at school. A bare handful were even obtained from the school library. Most were given to me by my parents; a couple by siblings or friends.
I have never LOVED an assigned book the way I've loved books that came from people I love, to be read solely for my own pleasure, at their recommendation.
thats a perfect description of my life
Posts: 48 | Registered: Jul 2005
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posted
Generally, I was a realist to a fault. I would rather read to gain data than to be amused.
However, a Sgt in the Army gave me Enders Game after I had a car accident, which totaled my car. (He was sick of me being lame I think.. LOL) I resisted, told him I didn't read SF, bla blah.. and I read it.
It wasn't just the entertainment value that captured me, it was the fact that he created a character I could relate to and I didn't feel so 'peculiar' after reading it. It put me on a different path.
My studies took a different direction, my loyality as a reader was solid!!!!! (I love his work!)
Still, my favorite read is Lost Boys! Best work was Stone Tables!
And I still feel blessed that I was able to talk to this man on a phone when I kept missing him in book signings!
I would have to say, reading ONE book, changed the direction of my mind, life and thinking. (not to mention my spiritual walk--even if he doesn't like that burden!!!)
Posts: 163 | Registered: May 1999
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